Holding On and Letting Go
by Hope is an inspiration
Summary: This story takes place after 3x10 as Elena faces her kiss with Damon and what this means for her future with Damon and with Stefan and how she feels about them both. Read and review please! Delena and Stelena. Trying to follow love triangle of the show.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Elena could not remove herself from the porch for a good while after the kiss. Her feet felt like they were stuck onto the wood with glue, while her heart pounded within her chest. She couldn't think, for he had left her with no words to think.

She closed her eyes and she could feel the kiss. The soft, tenderness of it, the gentleness. As if he didn't want to break her, as if she was such a precious, beloved person. The memories of that kiss, and all the feelings behind it, were what finally moved her, was what caused that wall inside of her to break. Was what cause her to break down into pieces finally. She stood there, tears pouring down her face, with the thoughts all suddenly rushing throughout her mind.

All the pain from months before, when Stefan left. No, not even just that. All the pain from before that just came to the surface. She was not the strong girl she pretended to be. She put up that front to survive, to block everyone out. Yet, somehow, in the process, she'd blocked herself out. And the only one who seemed to understand that, as crazy as it seemed-to her at least-was Damon. He understood her. And she loved that he did.

She loved him.

However, she also loved Stefan. She loved how he used to be, and she knew that deep down he was still that same Stefan. The same Stefan she wanted so badly to reach despite all the hurt he'd given her. Because he had showed her something that she'd never felt before. He was her first love, and she couldn't forget how she felt.

The conflict arose within her. What she had done. How she had fallen for two people, two _vampires_, two people she could never be with no matter how much she wanted to. And it broke her heart. How everything she gained fell apart.

When she went inside, she felt empty, void of all emotion. Broken and bare. But she had to hold on, even though she felt as if she had nothing. Because she had so much. Even though it didn't feel as if she did. She had Alaric, Damon, and potentially, if they could save him, Stefan. The situation was difficult, but she knew it could be resolved.

If she held on to hope, then things would change. Her life might pick itself back together and she'd be happy again. She would hold on to hope for the future, no matter how uncertain it may seem to be.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Damon was sitting at the boarding house with a glass of bourbon in his right hand, simply thinking. She hadn't pulled away when he kissed her.

He was bewildered by that, and had no idea what it meant. He loved her so much, it hurt, and he'd expected to be rejected, in fact as he made the impulsive decision to throw away all the boundaries he'd set for himself, he'd anticipated it. Therefore, not being rejected greatly confused him.

He stood up and paced. This was hardly the most dire thing on his list of things he needed to think about, however, this was the most pressing thought and he couldn't think away from it. He couldn't help but wonder exactly what was going on in Elena's mind. Behind her emotionless face, those rich brown eyes and that long straight brown hair he wondered how she felt. He could see how lost she was, but he didn't understand her feelings for him. She rarely ever expressed them, and when she did, they were either growing or diminishing, it seemed.

He took his phon out of his pocket and dialed her number, which he had memorized evem tough he didn't need to have it memorized because it was already in his phone. However, in case there was an emergency he wanted to be able to reach her.

She picked up on the second ring, "Hello?" Her voice sounded off, all full of emotion, as if she'd been crying, and that worried him, "Damon?" She questioned after he said nothing.

"Elena." He practically breathed. He didn't know what else to say, he didn't even know why he'd called. It was like he'd been drawn to hear the sound of her voice. To talk to her.

"Is everything okay?" She asked, her voice starting to sound worried, "Did something happen?"

"No," He answered, shaking his head, worried about her but trying to sound reassuring, "Are you okay, Elena, did something happen?" Besides the kiss, he wanted to say. Because it couldn't be the kiss, right? Or at least he hoped it wasn't. The possibility that it might be filled him with horror.

"I'm fine, Damon," She said, "If nothing is wrong I really need to get some rest." The thought of Elena there, talking to him in her little pjs, made him almost want to smile. But then he remembered how sad she sounded and that thought left him.

He needed to know what was wrong.

Thank You for reading! Please review and give me helpful tips for the future!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

The morning after their kiss, was a hard morning for Elena. She had to tell Bonnie and Caroline that Jeremy was leaving. She could see the pain in Bonnie's eyes, that she still loved him, despite everything that Jeremy had done to her. And Elena hated that she had to cause her friend so much pain. Hated the relief that filled her that Jeremy was leaving, despite all of Bonnie's pain. She didn't want him to go, because she knew it meant losing him, but she was glad he was safe and that he would be one less person to worry about once he was gone.

Of course, she wasn't totally relieved, not even close. Because there was still so much to worry about. She attempted to focus during her classes, but even AP American History, a class she was usually really into, she could not get into. She tuned Alaric out, her mind abuzz with worry.

Stefan was there, and he hadn't really betrayed them, because he had saved Damon. And that made it alright. Yet he held all their lives were on the line, since he had those coffins. Klaus wouldn't stop until he got them. And then there was also the fact that Klaus decided that Mystic Falls might make a nice new home for himself. That was worrisome. The town population had already been dwindling, and although the town wasn't very suspicious, with Klaus stirring up trouble they could get suspicious very soon.

Elena could only hope that if Klaus got the coffins, he might leave Mystic Falls behind forever. And everyone in it. And then things could go back to normal, or as normal as they could ever be. She wasn't even sure what normal was anymore, because the last thought she had of normal was before her parents died. Before she met Stefan and found love for the first time. Before Klaus, before the death of her aunt and her birth father. Before she lost her first love and then found another love in Damon.

Despite how much stress she'd be relieved of, despite it all, if that was normal, she didn't want it back. She loved her parents, but they were never coming back. And she had new people in her life now. A vampire she loved. And her best friend was a witch. Her life could _never_ be normal again.

Elena, biting her lip and trying to manage her thoughts, breathed a sigh of relief when the final bell rang. The school day was over and she had plenty of things to take care, like making sure Jeremy was all packed and ready, making sure dinner was on the table at the appropriate time, and her greatest, most pressing concern, going to talk to Stefan again.

She dreaded it, seeing the person-the vampire-he'd become, but she had to talk to him. To try and change his mind, especially after knowing that he saved Damon and didn't betray them.

With those thoughts in mind she headed off to the witch house.

_AN: Please, please review! I want to hear your thoughts whether you liked it or not! This is my first piece of writing (that is unrelated to school) in at least about a month, and I like where im going with it so far. So tell me what you think, I want to know your thoughts. Lots of love! 3_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Stefan was all alone in the world, at least that was how he felt. Katherine had convinced him to turn the switch back on, although he hadn't wanted to. And he was finding now that it was back on, that even though he only wanted to feel hatred towards Klaus, he couldn't help but feel the guilt and the sadness too. He'd hurt Elena, and she would never forgive him, because she thought that he had betrayed them.

Sometimes, it was almost hard to keep the tears at bay, when he was all alone in the witch house and he had no one. But then, he thought of who had taken it away from him, and all the sadness faded into hatred, at least enough for him to get back on his feet and smile viciously. He was going to get his vengeance, Klaus deserved it. Klaus deserved all of the worst of things in the world that could possibly plague him. A least that was how Stefan felt.

He was thinking about all of his plans to destroy Klaus, when he heard footsteps upstairs, and knew, from the sound of the steps, who it was who was in the witch house before he heard her voice calling out to him once again, "Stefan?"

He didn't answer her, he didn't even know why she was here. He had nothing to say to her, and he was pretty sure that she had nothing to say that would change his mind about anything.

Silently, he moved upstairs, to where she was, and upon her second calling of his name, he finally responded, "What do you want, Elena?"

"I want to talk to you." She said, her expression cautious, guarded. It pained him deep down inside to see her that way. To see her actually afraid of him.

He walked outside, "My answer isn't going to change." He almost hoped she wouldn't follow him, but he knew she would. He sighed silently.

"You didn't betray us." Elena said, staring at her feet as Stefan silently nodded, guessing what she was talking about, "Damon told me."

"And what?" He asked, his voice raising in agitation, "Why are you here, Elena?"

"Klaus wont stop until he gets what he wants. He'll kill Bonnie, Caroline, Alaric, Damon, me… until he gets the coffins, Stefan, you know he will. "

Stefan once again nodded, and then swallowed, watching as Elena transformed before his eyes, as the hurt emerged, the pain at the fact that he knew and just didn't seem to care, "Destroying Klaus is all I have left." He said, aware of how true what he was saying was.

"You had me." She said, finally breaking down and crying.

_AN: Please, review everyone! Reviews keep me motivated, and give me tips for the future so I can improve my writing!_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Stefan hated to see Elena in so much pain. Guilty ran through him, momentarily replacing all anger and rage that Klaus had caused him to feel. The concern written on Stefan's face was concern that no one had seen on his face for months, not since he left with Klaus.

Elena saw it too, and she gasped under her breath, and only stared at Stefan. His look said so much, and she knew that he hadn't stopped loving her. She had never thought that he had, and she was filled with relief that it was true. That he could be saved.

And then she was filled with guilt, because she'd kissed Damon. Not just once, but the second time, when he kissed her, she'd let him and kissed him back. She felt guilt because Stefan was no longer the only person in her heart. Because sometime, during the summer without Stefan, Damon had came to mean more that a friend to her.

Elena loved Damon for his penetrating blue eyes that seemed to see into the pit of her soul. For the way that he had protected her and had continued to do so even though he knew that Elena was not his. She loved how he put her first, and could always see when she was upset. How he held her face in his hands and gazed into her eyes, not breaking eye contact until she knew that _she was not alone_.

There was no words to describe how guilty she felt for loving two people. There was no words to describe the broken, raw feeling that was eating at her from the inside out. How much she hated herself for this. Because she knew it was wrong. As a person you were only supposed to love one person. And saying she loved two made her feel beyond disgusted with herself. She felt like Katherine. And she understood why Katherine put herself first and let them both go. Because they both deserved better than someone who couldn't love just them singularly. They deserved someone who wouldn't love their sibling too.

The tears continued to fall as she tried to fight them. It was all just too painful. And she was too broken inside to hold them at bay. It didn't matter if she did, because anyone who looked at her would have, at that moment been able to tell that a blank expression on her face meant she _was not okay._

She was alone, even though she tried to think she wasn't. All alone in her pain over which brother to chose. Because she just wasn't strong enough to let them go.

_AN: Thank you for reading! I love you all! Please review! 3 PS. When I was writing this I started out writing this chapter I was leaning towards third person omniscent even though all the other chapters were in 3rd person limited, and then I mostly just wrote this chapter in limited. But anyways…that's my little rant about my writing style, sorry (usually I write my stories in 1rst person, not third)…_

_PPS I'm really trying to write this fanfic, however, I want to work on some of my other fics too. Any ideas for what I should start with? I'm already in the process of another Someone who loves you chapter, but if you have any others you'd really like for me to continue just ask and I will do so most likely. Oh, and I totally forgot I wrote a Delena fic called Holiday Time and I'll work on a new chapter right now :O_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

It took Stefan a while to respond. Even then, all her could do was nod, trying to ignore the pain he saw highlighted in her features. He wasn't supposed to feel anything but anger and rage, and he mentally cursed himself for thinking other emotions. He didn't want to care. Unfortunately, to seek his vengeance he had had to make himself feel again. "Yes, I did." He finally said, "But I no longer do. You've moved on, as you should have."

Elena took deep breaths, trying to stop her crying. When her sobs finally quieted down, she spoke, "That's not true, Stefan, and deep down you know that. You know that I still love you." Her hands were clutched into fists at her side, as she tried to fight the emotion that was overpowering her.

Stefan shook his head, unwilling to believe that she still loved him despite the trail of continuous tears running down her face. Her life had fallen apart, it had nothing to do with him. She had just decided to break down in front of him because he was the person she was used to breaking down in front of. "You have Damon now." He knew how true his words were, because of all he had heard back when Klaus had snatched his emotions away from him.

Elena didn't deny it. Because she knew that she did have Damon. He was there for her, and he made sure she knew it.

Elena ran a hand through her hair, thinking of what to say but having no words to express her emotions. There was no easy way to tell anyone that she was in love with two people, and besides, she didn't want to tell anyone that. She could keep it a hidden secret, away from the world until she finally made up her mind about who to choose. "But Stefan…" She trailed off, wanting so much to say something to him to make him believe in her, believe in the possibility that their relationship could one day resume itself.

But there was nothing to say.

The two of them, so lost in their thoughts as they were, didn't notice Damon coming up behind them. Seeing Elena's upset face and Stefan's unreadable expression, he judged the situation suspiciously before throwing his brother into a tree. "What did you do, Stefan?"

_**AN:** Another chapter! I found it a little hard to write after watching tonight's episode, which I thought was pretty good, although I missed a little of what Elena said to Damon at the end of it on the porch (hmm… O-O)…_

_**Episode Rants:**_

_Spoilers: Anyways, I was so happy that Jeremy left (Sorry, didn't like him too much) And I'm wondering what is going on between Klaus and Caroline and why he so openly saved her…. :O And Stefan, I really love you, but that was a dick move (heh heh TVD's favorite bad word). Poor Elena. Love the funeral idea though…and I was like Matt/Elena *snuggles* I love them together too. _

_Message to Stefan: You are not losing anyone, you didn't lose them if you didn't notice, but you're causing them to pull away…You're seeking vengeance on something you did yourself. YOU are pushing them away…._

_**Please do not be mad at me or mean to me, these are my opinions. I respect your opinions, so I hope you respect mine. 3**_

_**LOTS OF LOVE 3**_


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

Clutching his teeth together as he faced the impact of hitting the tree, Stefan barely managed not to yell out at the bone jarring sensation. On instinct, he pushed Damon off of himself and vamped out.

Elena backed away from the two of them, fear building within her as she saw Stefan's veins around Stefan's eyes stick out and his fangs emerge. Her hands found their way into fists as adrenaline rushed into her and she readied herself to run, if need be.

Damon let himself be pushed back before he advanced forward again, " What did you do brother?"

Stefan shook his head and growled under his breath. _Damon doesn't understand,_ he thought, _he's been turned against you. _Hatred for Klaus once again rose within him as he thought, Klaus made him hate you._ This is Klaus's fault. He made your brother hate you, and made your girlfriend turn away from you. _The voice of Stefan's thought continued to whisper this to him as he glared at his brother, before finally spitting out, "I didn't do anything to her."

"And why don't I seem to believe that?" Damon asked, sending him a questioning glare.

"He didn't do anything to me, Damon." Elena finally spoke, her voice barely above a whisper, her expression guarded as she crossed her arms over her chest in an attempt to hide her feelings from the world. Trap all the emotions inside herself. _It's better if no one knows how I feel about everything_, she thought to herself, _I can't burden them with it all._

Damon glanced between the two, extremely confused, but also so very worried about Elena. He'd never seen her this upset, except when she thought Bonnie was dead. But there was one difference, because when she thought Bonnie was dead she'd cried freely and openly and let them all know how she felt. Damon had never seen her so battered but unwilling to show it all.

After a minute, he nodded slowly, believing Elena on the fact that Stefan hadn't physically harmed her. But emotionally, it was as obvious as day that he had. But he couldn't do anything about that, really, besides try and help her. He needed to know what was wrong. He needed to try and help her. It was the only thing he wanted at that given moment and time. "C'mon, Elena, I'll take you home."

Elena thought about that for a moment, about going home, about having Damon take her away from this person she still loved that had caused her so much pain. And then she shook her head. "No…Stefan…You have to give back the coffins. Please."

"I can't." Stefan automatically said.

"Elena." Damon said, "He isn't going to give them up. Not tonight, at least." He had to find a way to get her to leave before he accidentally gave something away that would reveal to her that he was working with Stefan.

"But…" She trailed off, realizing that Damon was right. Stefan wasn't going to give in that night. She had to accept that, for one night at least. Besides, she knew that she was too emotionally shattered to try and persuade Stefan anymore that night. "Fine, lets go, Damon."

Damon nodded, "See ya, brother."

And then he and Elena walked off into the night, while Stefan melted into the shadows of the old witch house.

_AN: Okay, I attempted to make that chapter a little longer! Anyways, hope you all enjoy it! :D Review please! _

_LOTS OF LOVE 3_


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

Damon and Elena walked onto the Gilbert's porch, both silent, lost in thought. Elena was trapped inside herself and her pain, while Damon observed her hardened state in worry. "Elena?" He asked, "What happened?"

Elena took a few deep breaths, unsure at what to say. She didn't want him to know how broken she was, she didn't want him to worry about her. She'd rather think to herself that no one cared, that she was all alone and that her existence was pointless except for being a human blood bag. "Nothing, Damon."

"That's a load of crap, Elena." Damon said, the volume of his voice increasing as his frustration grew. He needed to know how she felt, he needed to help her, but he could only do that if she told him what was wrong.

Elena could tell that he wasn't going tot let it go, and probably wouldn't leave until she told him what was wrong, so she came up with a tiny part of it and told him, her voice matching the volume of his, as she gave him a half pained, half bitter look. "You kissed me, Damon, that's what's wrong!"

He couldn't think logically, after she said that. For if he had thought logically he would have realized that she was only crying when she was with Stefan. That it wasn't all about the kiss, that her problems had only a small bit to do with the kiss. For the kiss had only brought her feelings to the surface.

Instead, Damon wasn't thinking logically at all as he quickly nodded and descended the steps of her porch, only thinking about her crying earlier, and that it was all because of the kiss, because she didn't want to be with him. Because she didn't like him. That was all Damon could think of as he tossed a, "Night Elena." Over his shoulder and left her home behind him, trying to fight off the emotions that were threatening to cripple him.

Elena sighed and shook her own head, unlocking the front door and heading inside, where she could hear the sounds of Jeremy finishing his packing. This nearly caused a fresh set of tears to emerge as she thought about that. Bonnie had clearly not been happy with her when Elena had told her. Elena could still see her best friends accusing, betrayed look. As if Elena had betrayed not only Jeremy's trust, but her own.

Elena managed to get up to her room before collapsing onto her bed in defeat.

She wanted to give up. She hated it, hated living that way. She didn't even know why she was still holding on, still hoping for something good to come out of this horrid mess she'd gotten herself into.

She was ready to just give up.

_AN: Please Review! It helps and encourages me to write more. And tell me what fanfics you want me to continue writing and ill start working on a new chapter of that fanfic, probably. I'm going to work on Someone Who Loves You soon, so keep and eye out for that, and I'm thinking of writing another chapter Things Change….so tell me what you think. And Remember…_

_REVIEWS=LOVE=I'M HAPPY=I'LL WRITE MORE AND FASTER!=YOU'LL HAVE MORE TO READ!_

_SO REVIEW! And tell me what I can improve on!_


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Elena Gilbert awoke early the next morning to find that Jeremy was already packed and ready to go, and Alaric was preparing himself to drive to the city to drop Jeremy off at the airport. Elena attempted to smile convincingly at Jeremy, however he must have seen through her act, for his smile faded once he saw her, "Hey, everything okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, Jer." She said, heading to the kitchen to pout herself a glass of Orange Juice. Her brother followed her, leaving his bags at the front door.

"Did something happen?" He asked, clearly doubting her act.

"Nope." She said, smiling again," Just ordinary, everyday drama." She attempted again to make her act even more convincing, and she pulled it off well because Jeremy just shrugged,

"Okay." He said, smiling again, "That's good that its just normal for once."

"Yep." Elena said, finishing her glass of juice just as Alaric descended the stairs, his face freshly shaven, his hair neatly combed, "Hey Alaric."

"Hey Elena." Alaric said, glancing at Elena and noticing her fake smile, before turning back to Jeremy, "Ready?"

Jeremy nodded, "Yeah."

Elena walked with them to the front entry, struggling to keep the smile on her face. Her brother was leaving, her love life was a mess, her best friend was angry with her, her life just really sucked.

She reached over and gave her brother a hug, seeking comfort in his embrace. She'd miss him, but as she held him close, she knew that she was doing the right thing. He was getting chance to start fresh, a chance to live a normal life, a life where he wouldn't have to worry about vampire attacks and death.

"Stay safe, Elena." Jeremy said, pulling away and grabbing his bags, sniffling as if he wanted to cry, as if this was a lot for him to handle. "I can't lose you, too."

Elena nodded, unsure as if it was a promise she could keep. It wasn't likely, since Klaus was here and Stefan and Klaus were at war with one another. There was a large chance that something could happen to her in the unpredictable world of Mystic Falls. "You too, Jer. Be careful."

He laughed for a second, knowing that where he was going he'd be safe, "I ya, sis." He said with one of those rare smiles.

"I love you, too." Elena said, turning away as she heard Bonnie come to say her goodbyes. Her brother was leaving, to be safe and to find a new life.

A small part of her wanted to be able to do the same.

_AN: Pretty crappy chapter, I know, but the next one is going to be good, for I have a plan….what does everyone think about a Matt/Elena scene? I'm starting to become a big fan of the two…that scene on wickery bridge was just… I am now shipping Matt and Elena a little even though I'm a Stelena fan…._

_But can I say something? I heard that Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson got death threats for the Delena kiss. My reaction OoO WTF? For 1. It's a tv show! It's not real…2. Why would you threated to kill anyone, ever? And to all those people who now think all Stelena fans are like that, we're not…I don't know anyone who would do that…_

_Has anyone ever heard the song Does Anybody Hear her? By Casting Crowns….it's amazing!_

_PS Please Review! It helps and encourages me to write more. And tell me what fanfics you want me to continue writing and ill start working on a new chapter of that fanfic, probably. I'm going to work on Someone Who Loves You soon, so keep and eye out for that, and I'm thinking of writing another chapter Things Change….so tell me what you think. And Remember…_

_REVIEWS=LOVE=I'M HAPPY=I'LL WRITE MORE AND FASTER!=YOU'LL HAVE MORE TO READ!_

_SO REVIEW! And tell me what I can improve on!_


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

Elena wanted one more look at it, after hearing that the town was planning on restoring Wickery Bridge. It brought painful memories and also the end of her old, supernatural free life. But she knew she needed to face it before they finally restored it and changed it forever.

The bridge was an important part of her past, an event that changed the course of her life forever.

She stood at the rail, her hand gripping the bar tightly, he knuckles white as she tried to fight the memories and the tears. Sometimes the nightmares plagued her, and all she saw was the accident, and how it was her fault. All her fault.

She remembered it like it was yesterday, although she didn't have recollection of all of it.

"_Oh come on, it wasn't that big of a deal." The old Elena said, rolling her eyes, feeling slightly dizzy and disoriented as alcohol tended to make her._

_ Miranda Gilbert, the old Elena's mother, gave her a stern look, running her hand through her hair stressfully, the same way Elena would in the future, when her life was so stressful she wanted to explode. Miranda closed her tired blue eyes and toop a deep breath, "We'll talk about this when we get home, Elena."_

_ "Why not now?" The old Elena moaned, knowing that when she was home she was going to get the lectures that she always tried to avoid. She'd rather they just get over with it. She plopped back against the back of her seat and sighed. _

_ Miranda glared at her adopted daughter in a disapproving way, "Because your father needs to focus on driving and you need to have some time to think about your actions."_

_ The rain was pouring in sheets outside, and it was hard to see far in front, Grayson Gilbert noticed, as he squinted in an attempt to see further ahead. "Can you both quite down a bit, please?" He requested politely, trying to focus on the road. _

_ "Of course." Elena grumbled, frustrated. They only ever wanted to talk to her on their time, and all they wanted to talk about was how she was never doing good enough. Well, she tried as hard as she could. She only wished they could see that. She almost wished something would happen, something to change her horrid, boring life in the small town of Mystic Falls, Virginia._

_ Little did she know that only a moment later there car would slide on the pavement from the summer rain, and they would run off wickery Bridge and into it's frightening depths. _

_ Grayson Gilbet knew what was happening as soon as the car slid on the pavement, and he did everything in his power to stop from running off the bridge. But everything in his power was not enough as the car sunk into the water. _

_ He managed to undo his seatbelt to find that his neice and adopted daughter, Elena Gilbert, was already unconscious in the backseat. He undid her seatbelt and his unconscious wife's seatbelt, but he was losing oxyen and was aware that none of them would probably make it out alive._

_ And then he saw the face. He'd seen it before, in old photographs, and he knew it was Stefan Salvatore, a vampire from the civil war days. Yet, as much as he hated vampires, he was relieved to see Stefan at that given moment, because he was his only hope._

_ Stefan easily broke the window, and reached into save Grayson Gilbert, as he was the only one still awake. However, he noticed that the man wasn't coming. Instead, he was pointing at a long haired brunette in the backseat. She was a teenager, pale and unconscious, but something about her seemed so familiar, but Stefan couldn't quite place it._

_ Grayson refused Stefan's offer and instead pointed at Elena. He hoped that Stefan would do one thing for him, even though he had little hope since the boy in front of him was a vampire. He pointed to her, and grabbed Elena's wrist, pulling her over to Stefan with all the strength he had left. He saw Stefan nod and tow her upward, but that was the last thing he saw before he blacked out._

_ Yet, he was at peace, because he knew his daughter might possibly make it. And that was enough for him, the hope that she might._

Elena closed her eyes, remembering her parents, every little detail, and finally letting a few tears fall, as she whispered to the water, "I miss you, so much." She was talking about more that just her parents, she was talking about everyone she'd every lost, including the Stefan she'd known and loved.

_AN: So sorry I didn't write yesterday, but to make up for that, and to celebrate this being the tenth chapter, I made it extra long. I had a project to finish yesterday, which is why I didn't write another chapter. Anyways, tell me what you think of this chapter, I'm really enjoying the reviews, they really encourage me :D I really wanted to write this scene and I just couldn't stop. Ive always wanted them to do a flashback scene of the car accident. Im thinking a flashback to the hospital afterwards in the next chapter, but is that too many flashbacks? :/ I know some people don't enjoy flashbacks, so I don't want to tire those people out…_

_I'm thinking of a real solid storyline to diverge it from the show a little. I'm thinking something with Stefan lies in these flashbacks and idk…anyways, I'm trying to come up with something. Tell me what you think. I love you all :D_

_PS Please Review! It helps and encourages me to write more. And tell me what fanfics you want me to continue writing and ill start working on a new chapter of that fanfic, probably. I'm going to work on Someone Who Loves You soon, so keep and eye out for that, and I'm thinking of writing another chapter Things Change….so tell me what you think. And Remember…_

_**REVIEWS=LOVE=I'M HAPPY=I'LL WRITE MORE AND FASTER!=YOU'LL HAVE MORE TO READ!**_

_**SO REVIEW! And tell me what I can improve on!**_


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

Klaus was the one who found Elena there, a smirk on his face when he saw her from afar. Then, as he wandered closer, he saw the tears in her eyes and that smile diminished, "What is troubling you, my dear?"

Elena shook her head, hating that someone saw her hear, especially the one person she hated the most. She could feel his vicious, piercing eyes before she even glanced up at him. "What do you want, Klaus?" She asked, sniffling and wiping her nose and eyes on her sleeve.

"Why is that you all think I have ulterior motives?" He asked, attempting to appear dumbfounded even though he knew the reason they always thought that of him.

"Because you always do." Elena said simply, trying to walk away from him. He followed her, keeping her pace as they walked.

He shook his head and laughed slightly, "Not always, Elena. Why the tears?"

"My parent's car ran off that bridge. They didn't make it." She said, sighing and looking away from him. She didn't want him here, she didn't want anyone here with her. She just wanted to be left alone to suffer in peace.

"Ahh, sounds like my brother's style," Klaus said to himself, thinking about Elijah and his methods of doing things. He thought he talked low enough that Elena did not hear him, because it was more of a thought to himself then anyone else. However, she did hear it, and her head shot up and she stared at Klaus in shock and with questioning eyes.

"What?" Her tone was clearly surprised as she stopped mid step.

"It sounds like Elijah's way of doing things. Set up things so they look like an accident...may I ask how you survived the incident?" Klaus asked.

Elena tried to register all of this, tried to wrap her mind around it. It made no sense. Elijah, try to kill her family? Why? What reason did he have to do that? She barely managed to answer his question, not thinking about it, and more of breathing it when she did answer, "Stefan saved me."

Klaus nodded, "I'm sure my brother would have saved you if he had not seen Stefan coming. His whole goal was to get you, after all." He smirked at Elena once again, who was still in shock, having trouble wrapping her mind around it. It wasn't an accident that her parents were dead?

Elijah had killed them?

_AN: So…there's another chapter, ho[e you enjoyed it even though its short…does anyone watch Glee? Cause I'm going to go on a really short ramble about something, feel free to skip ahead if you wish._

_OMG, the last episode was awesome…I was smiling and I was almost crying…that scene between Will and Emma (the sad one) I can totally relate with…I have ADHD, I know what it's like to have something you can fix, no matter how much you want to, I understand how it is to feel like an incomplete person because of it, because of something you can't control…that's why I was nearly in tears And I think Rachel is going to turn Finn down._

_PS Please Review! It helps and encourages me to write more. And tell me what fanfics you want me to continue writing and ill start working on a new chapter of that fanfic, probably. I'm going to work on Someone Who Loves You soon, so keep and eye out for that, and I'm thinking of writing another chapter Things Change….so tell me what you think. And Remember…_

_**REVIEWS=LOVE=I'M HAPPY=I'LL WRITE MORE AND FASTER!=YOU'LL HAVE MORE TO READ!**_

_**SO REVIEW! And tell me what I can improve on!**_


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

Silence filled the air as Klaus and Elena walked onward. For several minutes it was nothing but a thick, intoxicating, and somewhat awkward silence. When Elena finally worked out her thoughts, she gave Klaus a confused, shocked look, "But Elijah wasn't even in town."

"Ahh, that's the beauty in the situation, my dear," Klaus said, giving Elena a slight smile, "He was. He was hiding out and waiting."

"For what?" Elena asked, confused. What would he have to wait for? Why, if he was there in Mystic Falls, did he not just grab her and run?

"For the comet, he'd need the magic associated with the event." Klaus simply said with a nod, "And you were safe enough, for then. He tried to destroy your parents because they knew about vampires, and he knew that they would try and kill him if he came after you."  
>Elena tried to comprehend that, guilt filling her even more. She'd known her parents death was her fault, however she'd assumed it was because she had skipped family night to go to that party. She had no idea that it had been a result of her being born. It was all her fault, and some days, she wished that she had never been born, simply because of the trouble it caused everyone.<p>

She took a deep breath and then exhaled, "Then why didn't he take me after that?" She crossed her hands over her chest, in a protective and uncomfortable stance, as if trying to shield herself from the impact of it all.

"The Salvatore brothers were around then. The only reason he took you when he did was because you and Stefan were broken up then, and you were at a vulnerable time. And he knew that it was only a matter of time before I found out where you were." Klaus slightly smiled at the thought of his brother. He missed Elijah, at least a little bit. It struck him with sadness that his sister and his brother who he had trusted, had betrayed him

Elena glanced around in several directions, unsure what to say. This newfound information was like a punch in the gut to her. Her life seemed to get progressively worse with every passing day. And when that happened, no matter how strong she was, she couldn't help but feel eaten down inside, and feel as if she was undeniably, bitterly broken.

Elena weakly nodded, avoiding looking into Klaus's eyes.

_AN: Hello again! So I wanted to ask about this review, and how it confused me:_

_i cant believe it ur a stelena fan and this is somehow a mixed up stelena and melena story? cuz the 2 characters that was written in the summary were damon and elena so yeah im a HUGE DELENA fan and i didnt know julie got death threats 4 that r u kiddin me we put uo with 2 seasons full os stelena kissy-kissy scenes and with one awaited kiss u give them death threats... get ur acts together stelena shippers act like adults_

_To answer the first part, yes, I'm a Stelena shipper. The story is about the love triangle in the show though, and at the current moment I don't know who Elena is going to end up with in my fanfic. I don't mind Delena anymore, I think it's okay (this is my opinion), however at the first and second season I was screaming at my tv whenever a Delena scene happened. I just thought the kiss would bring a lot of internal conflict for Elena (yay internal conflict!) and so I wrote this fic. I was trying to keep it close to the show while diverging onto my own storyline._

_And wait a minute, you just stereotyped all Delena and Stelena shippers with that last comment…I don't want to be mean, but that made me a little mad. I would never do that, as I mentioned, and most Stelena shippers didn't either, only a few people. And so that's a few immature people, not all of us. I try and act like an adult, thank you very much (even though im technically not an adult, lol)._

_Spoilers from last episode warning (so don't tell me I didn't warn you): It was a really good episode! I loved the Stelena scenes and his I like what he said , "You're better than him Elena, you're better than the both of us." I think it was, along with what he said earlier, meant to show how strong Elena has gotten during the season. And I actually like Alaric and Meredith more than I thought I would, maybe that's because im reading Vampire Diaries: Hunters book #1 Phantom right now, so I like how Meredith is finally getting a tv show character now! And I loved Stefan hitting damon at the end, although I really don't understand why he's so mad, since Stefan and Elena aren't even together still. _

_Anyways, might not update in a few days, cause I might do a play festival thing (im an actress)…and I wont have internet if I do that. But I will update when I get back from that…anyones, im so tired I can barely keep my eyes open…so…_

_PS Please Review! It helps and encourages me to write more. And tell me what fanfics you want me to continue writing and ill start working on a new chapter of that fanfic, probably. I'm going to work on Someone Who Loves You soon, so keep and eye out for that, and I'm thinking of writing another chapter Things Change….so tell me what you think. And Remember…_

_**REVIEWS=LOVE=I'M HAPPY=I'LL WRITE MORE AND FASTER!=YOU'LL HAVE MORE TO READ!**_

_**SO REVIEW! And tell me what I can improve on!**_


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

Klaus walked with Elena until he saw that she was safe at home, and then, with a swift, yet fluid pace, he ran onward toward his new home. Once there, he stood and looked at his sister's coffin, thought back to all the happy times he and Rebecka had had, and smiled slightly. At least she was safe. Even if she was dead.

After opening the coffin, he stroked back the hair from her face and laid a kiss upon her sister's hand, "One day…" He whispered to her, even though she couldn't hear him in her tranquil state of death. She looked so peaceful, even with her skin a shade of ashen gray and most veins clearly noticeable.

Klaus felt his days filled with loneliness, even with his hybrids. He wanted more than anything to return his family to life, but without the coffins, he had no ability to do so. That's why he despised Stefan at the current moment.

He meant to say something to Elena. To warn her about the actions he'd have to take if he ddn't get those coffins back soon. Those coffins meant the world to him, and he wanted them all back. Especially the one that everyone else could not open. For he knew what was in there and why it was valuable. And If they somehow managed to open the coffin, _not even Klaus would survive that wrath_. That coffin sent a chill through him, a chill of fear and uncertainty he often never felt.

However, when Klaus had seen her then, and heard about her parents, he'd chosen to tell her the truth about what likely happened, and after he saw her face, he just couldn't threaten/warn Elena about what he would do if he didn't get the coffins back.

Klaus stifled an evil laugh as he turned around to see Stefan, thinking to himself how convenient it was that Stefan was here. "I want my coffins back, Stefan."

Stefan shook his head, his tossled brown hair staying as style as ever as if held with permanent hair gel."That's not going not happen Klaus."

Klaus suddenly felt angry, and he threw Stefan into the wall. _Stefan always complains,_ He thought, _but at least he still has his family, he has his brother. Me, I have nothing and no one._ He kept the struggling Stefan still as he took a stake from his pocket, staking Stefan in his stomach, pining him to the wall with the same stake.

Stefan looked at him with pained, yet bored eyes. "You will never see them again, Klaus." He said with certainty, "I promise you that."

Klaus only shook his head with a mixed emotion of sorrow and disbelief at Stefan's outcry.

_AN: SO TIRED…Thanks for the kind reviews :D_

_ DID U HEAR TVD WAS SKIPPING A WEEK? NOOOOOOOOO!_

_PS Please Review! It helps and encourages me to write more. And tell me what fanfics you want me to continue writing and ill start working on a new chapter of that fanfic, probably. I'm going to work on Someone Who Loves You soon, so keep and eye out for that, and I'm thinking of writing another chapter Things Change….so tell me what you think. And Remember…_

_**REVIEWS=LOVE=I'M HAPPY=I'LL WRITE MORE AND FASTER!=YOU'LL HAVE MORE TO READ!**_

SO REVIEW! And tell me what I can improve on!


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

Klaus left him like that, pinned against the wall, and went off in search of Damon Salvatore, planning on possibly staking him if need be. He held his head up high and thought simply about getting his family back, and then waking them up one by one. That way He could slowly gain their trust and support and begin his plans. His plans were simply to rule, and be all powerful. That way, if he had his whole family reunited, no one and nothing could stop him.

Damon, meanwhile, was visiting Elena, laughing as she tried to cook dinner. She was visibly upset, her could tell, even though she tried to hide it. So much so that at one point she seemed ready to fall over from it all, so much so that he zipped over and rested a hand on the center of her back, "Elena, what is it?" He looked her intently in the eyes, his own eyes swimming with concern.

"It's…nothing." She said, stepping away from him while she shook her head. She was thinking about him, and about Stefan, and how they were both really cared when she needed them too. That they both always put her first. And how she needed to try and put them first, for once, and some of her problems be her own problems, because they didn't need to harm anyone else.

Damon caught the hesitance in her voice and stepped closer, despite that she had stepped away from him. And then he did that which he always did lately, when she seemed upset. He gently placed both hands on either side of her face and gazed into her eyes. "Elena, what is wrong?" He didn't compel her, and he never would, not that it would work, anyways. No, he just help her face ever so carefully in his hands and tried to convince her to let him into her mind.

Elena took a deep breath, wanting to tell him everything, but at the same time, a small part of her did not. She wanted to be strong enough to say that she didn't need his help to feel okay. To be okay.

But she did need it.

"I…I'm just worried." She whispered, "About everything, about you." She didn't say anything else, yet Damon knew there was more. Something she wasn't telling him, yet she wanted to.

And he knew that he would try as hard as he possibly could to find out what it was she was keeping from him.

AN: Okay!There it is, chapter fourteen! I'm sorry I didn't ramble on last night like I usually do, but I was exhausted. I'd gotten about only 1 hour and 15 minutes of sleep in almost 2 days that night, because I was at a thing our drama program does where I live called the shotgun theatre festival, where a group of students write, rehearse, and perform a play in 24 hours. It was just sooo exhausting…but it was fun, we danced to the time warp at midnight (although they usually do it at 2am apparently) we got pushed out into the rainy clod weather at 5:45am because the fire alarm went off, we froze….and we ended up having to improve our play because someone got hurt right (like 1 min) before the performance…but hey, we had fun and ate junk food, so it was a good time…

Anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter. Review!

_PS Please Review! It helps and encourages me to write more. And tell me what fanfics you want me to continue writing and ill start working on a new chapter of that fanfic, probably. I'm going to work on Someone Who Loves You soon, so keep and eye out for that, and I'm thinking of writing another chapter Things Change….so tell me what you think. And Remember…_

_**REVIEWS=LOVE=I'M HAPPY=I'LL WRITE MORE AND FASTER!=YOU'LL HAVE MORE TO READ!**_

SO REVIEW! And tell me what I can improve on!


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

That night, after showering for a good forty five minutes just to fully calm herself and settle down, Elena dressed in her short red and blue checkered pajama shorts and red tank top and walked towards her bed. She was stretching and yawning, exhausted when she heard the voice behind her, perfectly calm and sort of solemn, "Elena."

She knew who the voice belonged to even before she ook a deep breath, her heart rate soaring, and turned around, "Stefan." She said, fighting to keep her calm after the last time she had seen him and had caused her to cry. She was just tired of it now. Of loving him, and getting her heart torn and thrown around every time she tried.

She was just too exhausted and worn down to deal with any of it anymore, "What do you want?" She demanded, putting up her guarded expression to mask how she was feeling.

Stefan observed her expression and nodded slowly to himself, noting how she was keeping her face emotionless, something she hadn't often done towards him unless she was upset about something. But there was something else about her expression, something different from when they had been together. She seemed to have grown. Not physically, but mentally, and she gave off the air of superiority, or at least someone who was not to be messed with. She'd never had that air about her before. It surprised him, and impressed him a little. "I came because I wanted to apologize. I didn't mean to upset you earlier."

Elena's expression visibly softened. She'd assumed he'd come her to…well, she didn't actually know what to expect when he came here, just not this, not an apology. This was unexpected, but it caused the corners of he mouth to lift up in a smile. "Thank you."

Stefan smiled also. "Your welcome." He felt a bit awkwardness after that, so he tried to fill it the only way he knew how, "So what's going on between you and Damon?" It was honest curiosity-and a little bit of jealously though he wouldn't admit it. He looked at her, his eyebrows raised as he awaited her answer.

Elena swallowed hard, clearly not expecting the question. She didn't know what to say or do. So she awkwardly sat down on the corner of her bed and said, "Stefan…I don't know how to say this, I just…"

"Elena?" He questioned her, suddenly feeling as if the whole entire world awaited on her answer. He needed to know. It was almost the most important thing in the world for him, at that moment to know how she felt about Damon. He could only hope she didn't care for Damon too much.

"I kissed him, Stefan. Before you left with Klaus. When I thought he was dying…and then a few nights ago, he kissed me."

AN: So here is another chapter. Sorry it took me so long, I just didn't feel like writing.


	16. Chapter 16

There was a long pause as both Stefan and Elena stared at each other, Stefan struck by sudden shock at what Elena had said before slowly nodding and turning away, "I understand, Elena…you care about him and I couldn't expect any different."

Elena was surprised by his response. She expected a different kind of response. She wasn't quite sure what exactly she had been expecting but that certainly was not it. Elena walked over to him, suddenly feeling the urge to tell him everything but at the same time, not wanting to. She knew that in the past, she would have easily told him how she felt about everything, but things had changed so much since that time and he was not the one she could really trust anymore. But despite that, she still felt bad, because she knew she still love d him and deep down that he still loved her. "I'm so sorry Stefan."

"It's alright." He answered quickly. "Just promise me something."

Elena was just about willing to say or do anything to put a smile on Stefan's face again, or at least to help him in any way she could. "Anything, Stefan."

He turned to look into her eyes, "Promise me, if you love him, you won't give up on him. Damon is, well Damon….But he needs you."

Elena thought about that for the longest moment. Not because it was difficult to agree to, but because it was an odd request for someone who acted like he didn't care to make. But nevertheless, eventually she nodded, saying, "I promise."

_AN:It's relatively short but I haven't written this one for like a year. Hopefully I'll write more soon J Leave a review, please J Lots of Love._


	17. Author's Note

This is just a huge little Author's note rant about what my life has become. I'm now in college and a while ago I just kinda didn't feel any sort of passion towards vampire diaries anymore. I don't know why or what happened, and I still watch it, but I just don't care about Stelena or Delena, I mean they're both great, okay?! But yeah, and I've just been writing a lot of original stuff, because I do want to be a published author one day (it would be a dream come true that I've been working on for more than five years) and with school and the television show Castle (if you've never watched it go do so now) and a bunch of personal crap (oh god there's loads of it, you don't even want to know). I feel like I'm letting so many people down, because I recently found out that people still read my fanfiction, which I didn't expect.

If you want me to update, could you just leave a review or message me, and I'll try and do so when I have some time. As for now, if you are missing my writing and you're interested in reading some of my regular fiction, then visit my fictionpress. It's right here:

u/793595/

:) Hope to talk to you/write fanfiction for you soon!


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